Santa Monica Celebrates 50th Anniversary of Fair Housing Act

By Lookout Staff

April 13, 2018 -- The Santa Monica City Attorney's Office will hold a workshop and student poster contest to commemorate Fair Housing Month

The "Fair Housing Issues in Rental Housing" workshop is part of a series of activities that include a student poster contest to mark the 50th anniversary of the Fair Housing Act of 1968, officials said.

The workshop -- which takes place Tuesday, April 24, from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. at the Santa Monica Main Library -- is co-sponsored by Santa Monicans for Renters’ Rights (SMRR), the Santa Monica Rent Control Board, Apartment Association of Greater Los Angeles (AAGLA) and Action Apartment Association

Presenters include Chancela Al-Mansour, executive director of the Southern California Housing Rights Center; Jessica Weisman, partner at the Law Offices of Kimball, Tirey & St. John LLP and Denise McGranahan, senior staff attorney at the Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles.

Also taking part are Deputy City Attorney Gary Rhoades and Consumer Specialist Andrea Cavanaugh from the City Attorney's Consumer Affairs Division.

Immigration-related issues in fair housing will be one of the new topics covered in the workshop, event organizers said.

The free event includes a continental breakfast and validated parking at the library.

Space is limited and pre-registration is required. Online registration ends on April 20, 2018. To reserve a seat click here.

The City Attorney’s Office is also hosting its annual Santa Monica Student Fair Housing Poster Contest, which drew more than 500 Santa Monica elementary and junior high students this year.

Nine finalists have been selected and their posters will be on display in the lobby of City Hall during the week of April 23.

On April 23, the City hosts the People’s Choice Award in which students, teachers, parents and general public can view the finalists' posters from 9 a.m. to noon and 3 to 5 p.m in City Hall and cast their votes.

Two new fair housing videos -- the animation "Follow John To Learn About Fair Housing" and "The Past, Present and Future of Fair Housing: A Symposiom" -- are now available on YouTube.